Intoxicated
by Vortexia
Summary: Three months have passed since the Kalos League, and Clemont knows he's running out of time to tell Ash how he feels. But even when you have the power of science and a meddling little sister on your side, sometimes the result can still end up being positively intoxicating. This story follows the group after the end of the XY series. Diodeshipping! AshxClemont; SatoshixCitron.
1. Tick, Tock, Exploding Clock!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hi, everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to say how proud I am of being part of this community. I've followed a lot of your blogs and seen your work, and I continue to be astounded by how amazing you all are. As a result, I wanted to make something really special for you, hence this story. I was originally trying to save it for Diodeshipping Day, but since the XY series is almost over I moved up my timeline.

I started writing this story around the time Season 1 of XY was released on Netflix, which was a while ago. I've watched most of XY and a couple random XY&Z episodes at this point, and already notice some differences, so I wanted to clarify a couple points:

 ***** This story follows an alternate timeline where the whole Team Flare arc never happened  
 ***** Bonnie never met Squishy (Sorry, Squishy! You're cool and all, but I didn't know about you when I started writing this)  
 ***** This story assumes an alternate ending where Ash won the Kalos League (against Sawyer)  
 ***** Serena and Ash do not leave Kalos, Clembot was never destroyed, and Greninja was not released

Also, the end of every chapter will contain something I like to call **Snapshots** , which will zoom in and focus on past events in greater detail. Some of these will be from the Pokemon anime itself, others will be theories / undocumented backstories (I tend to target Clemont for this, because CLEMONT!). They're not essential to the storyline, but hopefully you enjoy them.

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER**

I do not own Pokemon, nor do I own any of its characters, settings, items, or storylines. Neither I nor this story is associated with Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures, The Pokemon Company, Niantic, or any other official creators or distributors of Pokemon and/or related merchandise and entertainment products.

Though I will only be stating this disclaimer once, please know it applies to this story as a whole, and not just this chapter.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1  
** _Tick, Tock, Exploding Clock!  
_

* * *

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

Clemont awoke with a groan, rolling over to face his _Wake-Up-Anyone-In-Five-Minutes-Or-Less-Atron_ , more commonly known as an alarm clock. This one was unique in the fact that once the alarm went off, it would run around the room while constantly beeping, forcing someone to get out of bed and chase it should they want the noise to stop.

 _Tick._

It was a bit on the loud side though, even when it wasn't beeping. Why had he made it that way? He would have to look at it when he was feeling a bit more rested. And when he had time. He was always so busy now, between running his gym, working on inventions, and supporting his friends and family as they got closer to achieving their dreams.

 _Tock._

He wasn't sure how anyone could sleep through that noise. Well, with one or two exceptions. He smiled at Ash's sleeping form across the space in between their matching twin beds, Pikachu curled up on his chest. It had been three months since they started officially living together; him, Ash, Bonnie, and Serena. There had been enough space in Prism Tower to give Ash his own bedroom, but he refused to let them go to the trouble of setting up a room for him, despite Clemont's claim that it would really be no trouble at all. That was how he ended up sleeping in Clemont's room, on his spare bed.

 _Tick._

With one final yawn, he picked up his invention and flipped a small switch on the back, shutting it down. He didn't typically suffer from oversleeping, anyway. The invention had been made more for Ash, who Clemont felt would be capable of sleeping almost all day if nothing woke him up. Of course, he didn't feel overly confident that Ash fell into the "anyone" category implied by the _Wake-Up-Anyone-In-Five-Minutes-Or-Less-Atron_. During their travels together, he had seen Ash sleep through loud noises such as thunder, and even a Tyrunt poking its head into their tent. Beeping was nothing compared to those.

 _Tock._

Wait. He had turned it off, hadn't he? That should have turned off all functions of the invention, including the ticking noise that had woken him up originally. That was odd. He didn't want to jump to conclusions and assume the invention was broken. Maybe he just hadn't flipped the switch all the way?

 _Boom._

Another invention, failed. Clemont sat straight up in bed, hair curled and glasses half hanging off his face in the aftermath of the explosion.

"What was that?" The question came from Ash, who had narrowly missed being hit by the blast. "Clemont, are you okay?" He propped himself up on his elbow, looking at his friend with both admiration and concern. With his free hand, he cuddled Pikachu close against his body, letting his Pokemon partner know that they weren't in any danger.

"I'm fine..." Clemont said miserably, looking down at his sheets and blanket. "Just another little bump on the road to success...go back to sleep..."

Ash shook his head, unable to hide his smile. Clemont was so determined, always trying again and again until he got things right, no matter how many times his attempts blew up in his face - literally. "Nah, I'm not that tired. It's almost morning, isn't it? Let's go make a proper breakfast, for once. How does that sound, Pikachu?"

The electric mouse affirmed the idea with a wave of his tail, jumping off the bed and bounding towards the door. Several weeks ago, Clemont had installed a small door within their door, dubbed the _Let Pikachu Leave Whenever He Wants Pokemon Door_ , but he still had yet to use it. He much preferred to wait for Ash to open the door for him, which he asked for now with a soft "pika pi!"

Clemont smiled shyly as Ash shook his blanket off himself in response to Pikachu's request, exposing his too-small pajamas. No matter how many times he had slept in the same room as him, Ash's confidence about his body always made him blush. "S-sure," he stammered. "You go on ahead. I'll be down in a minute."

He slipped out from underneath the covers as Ash and Pikachu left the room, the door closing behind them with an almost inaudible _click_. Unlike Ash, he didn't feel comfortable enough to go down to their communal kitchen in nothing but his pajamas. Now that he was home, rather than travelling, he had traded his long nightshirt (or nightgown, as Bonnie liked to call it) for a more reasonable long sleeve shirt and a pair of sweatpants. They were okay, he supposed, or at least Bonnie didn't make fun of them, but truthfully he missed his more unconventional sleeping gear.

Hastily, he threw off his pajamas, trading them for his signature blue jumpsuit. It was rare that he had Ash all to himself in the morning. He shouldn't complain, really - after all, they were alone together all night, every night. But that was different. Ash was usually asleep, and Clemont...well, sometimes he was asleep too, and sometimes he just stayed awake watching Ash's chest rise and fall.

He pulled open the door again, hurriedly running a brush through his hair and throwing it to the side as he ran around the corner. Taking the steps two at a time, he screeched to a halt as he arrived at the kitchen doorway. He bent over, hands on his knees while he tried to catch his breath. He had been practicing running every day, but it didn't seem to be getting any easier for him. Especially when stairs were involved.

Ash stood just at the other side of the door, listening to Clemont's laboured breathing with a slightly sad expression. He wished he would stop doing that - pushing himself to his limits, just to...what? Impress everyone? Prove himself? His eyes glanced towards Clemont's spare inhaler, sitting on the counter. He wanted to go out and bring it to him, but he knew he couldn't. Clemont would be too embarrassed.

"Hey," Clemont, now almost fully recovered from his minor asthma attack, strolled into the kitchen. He took note of Ash's position close to the door, hoping he hadn't heard his efforts to breathe normally. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Toast," Ash suggested, not wanting his friend to have to go to too much trouble cooking for him.

"Come on. You said we were going to have a proper breakfast. Toast is not a proper breakfast. Let me make you something."

* * *

It was only a half hour later when he and Ash finally sat down to breakfast; a rich Kalosian toast recipe to fill Ash's earlier request, and sweet maple bacon to go with it. Clemont looked out the window, sighing. He was really only guaranteed another hour before Bonnie woke up and interrupted their time together.

"I've been wanting to ask you about something," Clemont said nervously, amid the sound of their forks scraping on their plates and the small scratching sounds of Pikachu picking at his food. He took a deep breath. _Here we go_ , he thought. _The moment of truth._ But his next words surprised even him. "What would you think about quizzing challengers before letting them battle?"

He dropped his fork on his plate with a _clang_ as he realized he had chickened out again. There had been an unspoken realization on Clemont's part since the moment they had moved in together; the understanding that one day, Ash might leave, and if he did they might never see each other again. It was something Clemont could never let happen - he cared too much for Ash to simply watch him walk out of his life. But if he was going to do something about it, he had to find out if leaving was even something on Ash's mind right now.

"Uh..." Ash paused, looking at Clemont with mild confusion. This wasn't the first change that Clemont had suggested for the Gym, and while he might have rushed into inventions head-on regularly, he had never approached his job in quite the same way. It had Ash a bit worried about him. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Every time the opportunity had come up for Clemont to ask Ash when he was planning on leaving, he would end up asking something else instead. So far, he had only voiced suggestions for the Gym, each more ridiculous than the last. That was how he ended up scheduling battles with challengers via telephone last month, and why he had reinstated his rule about Trainers having four badges the month prior.

"Absolutely." He flashed his glasses at Ash, hiding an eye roll meant for himself. Why did he keep doing this? As embarrassing as it was to present an idea he hadn't thought through yet, it would be even more embarrassing to try and explain that he was going to ask about something else entirely. "This building is so tall; we have entire floors not being used. Allowing them to be used for quizzing challengers would breathe new life into them. Besides, it would create jobs for people, and that's good for the economy."

"If you think this is a good idea, Clemont, then I support you." Ash smiled at his friend, pushing away his plate as he finished his breakfast. He could never be anything less than encouraging, even when Clemont's ideas didn't make sense to him. After all, Clemont was the smartest person he knew. "But why the sudden interest in changing things? Isn't everything working out fine how it is now?" He certainly thought it was. Clemont seemed happy to face challengers, but he still always had enough time to take care of Bonnie, cheer Serena on at her performances, and help him with new training strategies.

Clemont looked down at the table, trying desperately to hide the blush that was slowly appearing on his face. He couldn't tell Ash the real reason he had suggested that change, or any others. If he was being honest with himself, he thought there was a part of him that was trying to fill up his spare time with more Gym Leader duties. Inventions, his main hobby and what he usually spent his free time working on, were wonderful, but working on them reminded him of Ash; reminded him of how excited he was at each new scientific revelation and how nice it was to feel his arms around him when he gave him a congratulatory hug for a job well done. Maybe it was time to focus on something else, something Ash wasn't an essential component of. All he had been thinking of lately was Ash: Ash walking with his backpack slung over his shoulders, Ash holding Pikachu, Ash preparing for a Pokemon battle. And those thoughts couldn't be in his head so often - not when he was too afraid to do anything about them.

"Just giving something new a try," he said, breaking his train of thoughts. "Change can be good for you, after all."

* * *

Later that day, Clemont stood at his bedroom window, surveying the streets below. Lumiose was always busy - it was the tourist city of the Kalos Region, after all, and Prism Tower was one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The first floor was open to the public as a tourist stop for people visiting Lumiose City, but the rest of the 80-storey structure housed the Gym and his living quarters. _His, Bonnie's, Ash's, and Serena's_ , he reminded himself. It wasn't just his Gym anymore. It belonged to all of them.

That was one of the first things he had decided, when they all moved in together. Everything was more fun with friends, after all. What had accompanying Ash on his Pokemon journey taught him, if not that? Battling was always left to him and Clembot, but the others officiated matches and helped take care of his Gym Pokemon. Things had never run quite so smoothly at the Lumiose City Gym before, and Clemont was proud of their combined efforts.

It hadn't been all wonderful, of course, sharing a living space together. Clemont was usually awake at odd hours tinkering with his inventions, Serena quite frequently used up all the hot water, Bonnie couldn't stand anyone else being the center of attention if she was having a bad day, and now that Ash didn't have to pack up a tent every day it turned out that he was quite disorganized. But they were a team. And he couldn't imagine things being any other way. He smiled happily as he remembered the day they had made their family official...

* * *

 _"So what are you going to do now that you've won the Kalos League? Are you off on a new adventure, in a new region?" Serena's voice was tinged with sadness, despite the smile lingering on her face._

 _"Well, I haven't really decided that yet." Ash laughed nervously, putting his hand behind his head as he played with his hair. "Actually, I was hoping to talk to you about that. All of you." He amended his statement to include Bonnie and Clemont in the conversation. "You know, a lot of people look up to Champions. And I'm not the only one out there that wanted the title. Some people were really close too, I think. They just need a little help. Everyone deserves a chance to achieve their dreams!" He swung his first in front of his face, sporting a determined expression._

 _"And you're going to stay here and help them!" Bonnie yelled out. "Serena, isn't that great?" she asked her best friend, smiling widely._

 _"Bonnie!" Clemont warned, putting his hand on his sister's shoulder. His heart had been dancing in his chest since Ash had started talking. More than anything, he wanted him to stay in Kalos. But that might not be what Ash was trying to say, and he didn't want to get his hopes up. He didn't think he could deal with an emotional roller coaster right now._

 _"I was thinking about it," Ash admitted, smiling at her. "I've already been asked by a couple people if I could help them become better Trainers, and you know I can never resist a battle…"_

 _So that's what Ash had been doing when he snuck off in the middle of the night. Clemont had wanted to send his_ I See You But You Don't See Me Spy Camera _after him, but he was too respectful of Ash's privacy to do so._

 _"You've had other Pokemon battles with Champion hopefuls?" Serena asked, sounding surprised. Unlike Clemont, Serena hadn't noticed Ash's nighttime disappearances._

 _"They went well, too!" Ash said, nodding his head. "We learned a lot from each other - and we still could. There are others like them out there, and I want to learn from them all!"_

 _"That's wonderful! I'm so glad you're staying here!" Serena exclaimed, before blushing bright red and putting her hand over her mouth. "Me and my big mouth…" she mumbled. That was Ash's decision to make. Not hers._

 _Thankfully, it did seem that staying was what Ash was trying to get at. "So, it's okay with everyone if I stick around for a while longer...?" His question may have been meant for the group, but his eyes were on Clemont, his lips slightly parted as he waited for a response._

 _"Of course!" Serena was the first to say, her voice mingling with Bonnie's and Clemont's as they echoed her sentiments._

 _"You can even stay with me and Bonnie in Lumiose City, if you want!" Clemont offered, perhaps a little too over-enthusiastically, though no one seemed to notice._

 _"Wow, Clemont, that's really nice...but won't your dad mind having an extra house guest?" Ash said, looking a little worried._

 _"Not in the slightest!" Clemont said confidently, adjusting his glasses. "I have my own living quarters, at the Lumiose City Gym. Oh, and you're welcome to stay with us as well, Serena." He realized, hopefully not too late, that it would be rude to extend such an offer to one traveling companion and not the other._

 _"Well, in that case...thank you, Clemont! I accept!" Ash grinned, and put his arm around his friend. Clemont blushed, returning the half-hug._

 _"I accept, too! This will be great!" Serena flashed a smile at Ash and Clemont before excitedly wrapping Bonnie in a hug._

 _"Now we're just like a family," Bonnie said happily._

 _Clemont couldn't agree more._

* * *

"Hey." Clemont jumped, startled out of his memory at the unexpected greeting. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! Me and Pikachu are off to meet a new client."

"Pika pika!" The electric mouse confirmed Ash's statement, grabbing onto his hat to keep his balance.

"Another one? That's the third one this week!" Clemont couldn't help but smile. He was happy that this business was turning out to be so profitable for Ash.

"There are lots of people out there that need our help, and we're going to be there for each and every one of them!" He flashed Clemont one of his award-winning smiles, making the blond boy blush. Did Ash have any idea that he could turn Clemont's knees into jello with a single look?

"Have fun," he said, with a wave. He turned back to the window, listening to the sound of Ash leaving the room and heading out of Prism Tower. Once he walked out of their living quarters, it would be approximately a 2 minute walk to the elevator, followed by a minute long wait and then a 4 minute ride down to the first floor, where he would weave his way out the door and then turn around to wave at their bedroom window. Just like he did every time he left.

Clemont couldn't help but wonder if he would still wave up at the tower when he left for the last time.

* * *

Ash looked over his shoulder at Prism Tower, the place that he had started to think of as "home". It had been a long time since he had a place to call his own; eight years, in fact. He couldn't believe that just a couple of short months ago, he had been contemplating leaving the Kalos region. Now that he had seen what it was like to have stability in his life, a close circle of friends that he thought of almost as being like family, and the respect and admiration he had expected to only find once he became a Pokemon Master, he wasn't sure he liked the idea of leaving that much.

He lifted his arm up and waved in the direction of his and Clemont's bedroom, cupping his free hand around his mouth and yelling "See you later!" The outburst earned him several strange looks from passersby, but Ash ignored them. To them, it might look like he was yelling at nobody and waving at the sky, but he knew he was saying 'goodbye' to Clemont in his own way, and that was all that mattered.

His priorities in life seemed to be shifting, Ash reflected as he headed down Estival Avenue. Of course there were things he cared about above all else, like battling and becoming a Pokemon Master, but his friends here in Kalos and his life as a Champion could make him forget all about that at times. As he cut across the street and passed the fountain in the middle of Bleu Plaza, he stopped and stared at his reflection. His tanned skin and amber eyes stared back at him, the rippling effect of the water giving him a distorted appearance. When had he given up on his dream? When had he decided that this life was okay to settle for?

 _I'm not_ _settling_ , he told himself, knowing that was the truth. _I'm here because this is the best place for me, and for Pikachu. Life here, in Kalos, is all that I have ever wanted and more._ He was happy here, something he hadn't expected when he first arrived in this region. _I'm not giving up on my dream. I have a new dream, and that's the one I want to pursue now._ He had only been ten years old when he decided to follow in his father's footsteps and try to become a Pokemon Master, after all. Was it really such a bad thing if he decided to revisit that decision?

"Pika-chu!" a yellow shape appeared in Ash's reflection, reminding him that this wasn't just a leisure walk. He had somewhere to be, and, judging from the urgency in which his Pokemon partner had reminded him of that, he was late.

"Thanks, Pikachu!" he said, holding onto his friend as he sprinted down the street and over towards Cafe Soleil, where he typically met with his clients. He would have time later to contemplate his own dream. Right now, he had to help someone else achieve theirs.

* * *

"Hi!" Ash skidded to a halt in front of a girl sitting at one of the outdoor tables of Cafe Soleil, putting his hands on his legs to steady himself as he recovered from sprinting three blocks. "Are you Sable?"

"Do I _look_ like Sable?" the girl questioned, not even bothering to look up from her phone. She wore a slightly disdained expressions, and her fingers tapped impatiently on the table whenever they weren't tapping at something on the screen.

"Well, yeah," Ash said, recalling the description he had been given by the nobles that he presumed were her parents. She had long, blueish-black hair tied together with a purple ribbon at the back, and was wearing a navy blue sweater with the same emblem on it that the man and woman he had spoken with had proudly displayed. "I'm…"

"Late," she finished for him, snapping the cover on her phone shut. "You're not making a very good first impression." She looked up at him then, her dark blue eyes looking as hard as the sapphires they resembled.

"Sorry," he apologized, not seeming at all phased by her less-than-welcoming attitude. He slid into the seat across from her, Pikachu bounding down from his shoulder to sit down in front of him. "Anyway, I'm Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu!"

"Pika pika!" The electric mouse waved his paw at the girl in greeting, not noticing her face twitch with discomfort as he did so.

"You don't look like a Champion," she said critically, wrinkling her nose at the pair. "I was expecting someone…"

"Taller?" Ash joked, knowing that he was still a bit on the short side for his age.

"I was going to say, 'more impressive.' But your suggestion works, too. I suppose if you were taller, you might look more impressive."

Ash bit the inside of his cheek, exchanging a look with Pikachu. He had encountered his share of difficult people in the past, but he had eventually won them over. Despite how rude this girl was being, he had no doubt that he could win her over, too.

"How about you tell me what you want to learn about being a Pokemon Trainer?" Ash suggested, ready to get to the real reason they were both there. "Then we can form a lesson plan for you."

"A lesson plan?" The girl sneered at him, not looking very impressed. "Hmph. If you were really the best teacher out there, you would have had one for me already."

"I never claimed to be a good teacher," Ash defended himself. "Just a good trainer. Besides, it's hard to personalize a lesson plan for someone you haven't met."

"Fair enough," Sable said, after some consideration. "Okay then. I don't want to be just any kind of Pokemon Trainer - I want to be a Sky Trainer."

"Flying-type against Flying-type," Ash mused, recalling his own set of battles with a Sky Trainer. "That means you'll need to learn how to use your Pokemon's primary or secondary type to your advantage. I can work with that, sure! What kind of Pokemon do you have?"

At his question, a troubled expression came over Sable's face. Reaching inside her purse, she pulled out a Pokeball and rolled it around in her hand a few times, looking like she was debating showing him. But eventually, she tossed the Pokeball on the ground, allowing her partner to come outside.

"Whimsicott!" Ash stared in surprise at the Windveiled Pokemon, which looked up at its trainer expectantly like it was waiting for some kind of order. Its cotton-like mane blew with a sudden gust of wind, and the Pokemon held onto the leg of the table, like it was afraid it was going to blow away.

"Uh…" He didn't really know what to say. This girl claimed to want to be a Sky Trainer - yet her Pokemon wouldn't even qualify for a Sky Battle. How was he supposed to help her achieve her dream if her partner wasn't even a Flying-type Pokemon?

"I know," she said, shaking out her long blueish-black hair and tossing it over her shoulder. "I told my parents I wanted my first Pokemon, and they returned with a Cottonee. A Cottonee!" she repeated, looking angry. "The first thing I did was evolve it. At least Whimsicott isn't as ugly as Cottonee."

From the way that Sable looked at her Pokemon like it was to blame for not being what she wanted, and the sadness evident in Whimsicott's eyes, it was easy to see that they were a mismatched pair. Whimsicott deserved to be with a Trainer that appreciated her for who and what she was, and Sable needed a Flying-type Pokemon. Ash knew already that one day, the two would part ways. He just hoped that it would be a mutual split, bringing happiness to both, rather than a classic case of Pokemon abandonment.

"Well thankfully, there's a lot more to being a Trainer than just battling!" Ash told her, determined to not let this get in the way of his duty as her instructor. "And there's also a lot you can learn about being a Sky Trainer, even without a Flying-type Pokemon."

"Don't you think I know that?" she snapped at him, looking rather intimidating even though Ash estimated she was several years younger than him. "My parents don't care if I know how to be a real Trainer or not, and even if they did, they certainly wouldn't pay you to teach me how to be a Sky Trainer. All they want is for me to learn how to battle. So just teach me that."

"You can't just start battling right away," Ash tried to explain to her. "You need to understand which Pokemon have advantages over each other and why, so that you can make smart choices when in battle. You need to have a solid understanding of types and abilities, and most importantly you need to understand your connection with your Pokemon partner. Without that connection, you might become a good battler, but never a great one."

"Great," Sable said, standing up in anger. "Come on," she said to her Whimsicott, who scrambled to get out of the way as the girl started towards her. "This is a waste of time. I just need to know...huh?" She stared at Ash, confused as to why he had just grabbed her arm.

"Wait," he said, his charming smile not fading for even an instant. "Just give me a chance. Your parents have prepaid me for three lessons. If you still think that listening to me is a waste of time after those three lessons, then you can walk away."

"And you won't tell my parents I want to be a Sky Trainer," she bargained, narrowing her eyes at him. "They can't know. They don't believe in non-traditional battles."

"Deal," Ash said, removing his hand from her arm and sticking it out for a handshake instead. Gingerly, Sable took it, still seeming unsure of her agreement. "But you have to actually try and take something away from these lessons. I can only teach you if you want to be taught."

"Fine." She turned around, once more taking a seat at the table. "Three lessons. But after that, I'm done."

* * *

 **SNAPSHOTS  
** _Pokemon the Series: XY  
_ _XY029:_ _Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike!_

* * *

"Thanks a lot, Clemont. You saved the day!" Ash smiled at his friend, holding onto Pikachu, who had just bounded onto his shoulder.

"No," he said, looking sadly down at his invention. "In fact it was all my fault for building that robot." He was so ashamed of what he had done. He had allowed himself to believe in the scientists' words, so flattered by their praise that he didn't even stop to wonder how they known about him in the first place. If he had been more careful this never would have happened.

"But it was Team Rocket's fault," Serena told him, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Come on, you didn't do anything wrong!" Bonnie leaned towards her brother, hoping he would be able to see the truth in her words.

"Really?" Clemont asked, holding his invention in the air as he attempted to put it away. "Huh?" The Mechanical Absorber of Any Pokemon's Move suddenly seemed to be charged with electricity, visible currents running on the outside of the Model Two device. It didn't take long for it to explode, covering the whole area in a cloud of dark smoke.

"Oopsie doops," Bonnie said, looking at her brother, with his now-poofy hair and burnt-looking face and clothing. "Are you okay, Clemont?" He coughed violently in the aftermath of the explosion, leaving worried looks on everyone's faces. "Do you need your inhaler?"

"I'm fine," he managed to squeak out. He was always embarrassed when he had to use his inhaler, especially when he used it in front of other people. It made him even more uncomfortable if they were giving him concerned looks. Didn't they understand that their sympathy just made things worse? His asthma wasn't the only reason he had trouble breathing sometimes; his anxiety played a part as well, and though he had been taking strides towards recovery, he still felt nervous if people were watching him.

"Come on, guys," Ash said, drawing everyone's attention away from Clemont. "We should start heading back. It's getting kind of late." The group started walking away, Clemont trailing along behind them as he struggled to shove the broken bit of machinery back in his backpack.

Maybe people didn't always understand that he needed time alone after a failure such as this one, but Ash did. It seemed that Ash understood everything about him: his desire to take good care of his sister, his appreciation of science and technology, and even the panicked thoughts that sometimes ran through his head when they encountered new situations. So many times on their journey when he had doubted himself, Ash was there to support him and make him feel special, for once. He wished there was a way he could repay him for everything he did.

Struck by inspiration, he rummaged around in his backpack until he triumphantly pulled out a pencil and a sheet of graph paper. Ash should have hated him for assisting Team Rocket; yet even as they stood there with Pikachu in their clutches, he had taken the time to tell him that "science is so amazing!" Maybe the Mechanical Absorber of Any Pokemon's Move wasn't such a bad invention after all. Maybe it just needed a little work. Hadn't he heard somewhere that "third time's the charm"?

The sun was close to setting by the time he had finished with the brand new schematics, which he tucked away in one of the outer compartments of his backpack. He glanced over at Ash, wondering when or if he would take a break. While the girls seemed tired, he was still marching forward with a determined expression on his face, confident they could reach the Pokemon Center before nightfall.

He could have waited until Ash finally admitted they were too far away and they started setting up camp, but he wanted to show him now. He had made this for him, after all. It was the encouragement he needed to run forward, stopping in front of Ash as he held out his schematics in front of him. After a moment, he put down the paper, giving him the biggest smile he could possibly manage.

"Yeah!" Ash said, holding his fists in a victory pose. At the sudden noise, Serena and Bonnie looked up, pausing as they, too, glanced at the schematics. They didn't understand them, and Clemont was pretty sure Ash didn't actually understand them either, but he at least knew what it was supposed to be and was just as excited about it as Clemont was.

Ash stepped forward, his arms extended out as if for a hug. Blushing, Clemont turned around to face the path in front of them. It wasn't that he didn't like the extra attention he seemed to receive from Ash - in fact, sometimes he found himself craving it - but he wasn't used to the hugs that his friend so freely gave out. But even though he had avoided a full hug, he felt Ash's arm come to drape itself over his shoulder, and he smiled in spite of himself. No matter what, everything would be okay from now on.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, there you have it - the first chapter. I definitely published this a little earlier than I had intended, but it was important to me to get it out before the XY series ended and everyone forgot about Kalos.

The Snapshot is from one of my favorite moments in the entire series, the ending of episode XY029. That adorable smile of Clemont's will always have a home in my heart.

Stay tuned for Chapter 2, and thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!


	2. A Picture Worth 1,000 Words!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Happy Diodeshipping Day! I hope you all appreciate how ridiculously hard it is for me to get any content out at this time of the year, considering I'm smack in the middle of rodeo hell, but today was too important for me to not have an update. Though the focus of this chapter is more on Serena than Ash or Clemont, hopefully you all enjoy it, and with any luck this won't be the last time you hear from me this week!

Also, thank you for adding me to the _Diodeshipping for Life!_ community! I'm definitely a fan, so it's a real honor.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2  
** _A Picture Worth 1,000 Words!_

* * *

"And the winner is...Serena, from Vaniville Town! Congratulations!" Lord Shabboneau, the owner of the castle the Fiery Charm Showcase was being held in, and one of the judges, stood up and handed Serena a winner's sash. Unlike the Rookie Showcases she typically attended, this was a small local competition that had no bearing on a competitor's status, one of many that Serena had signed up to participate in. Even though she wouldn't be receiving a Princess Key from this performance, she still smiled happily as she slipped the sash over her head. Every performance counted, as far as she was concerned. As long as she gained at least one more fan each time she attended a showcase, it was worth it.

"Serena, Braixen, yay!" Bonnie jumped up from her seat and ran right to the edge of the stage, ducking to avoid roses that were being thrown from all corners of the room. "You won! You won!" She put her arms up on the stage, struggling to pull herself up before giving up and pouting. Even though she was taller now than she was at Serena's first showcase, she was still too short for many things, the stage in Shabboneau Castle being one of them. She watched as Serena finished blowing kisses at her adoring fans and gathered up several of the roses, before heading to the staircase at the side of the stage.

"Do you know what this means?" Serena asked her, climbing down the stairs with the elegance and grace one would expect from someone who had just won a Pokemon Showcase. When she reached the bottom step, she turned around to offer a helping hand to Braixen, her Pokemon partner.

"More flowers to decorate with?" Bonnie guessed, breathing in the scent of the roses. "A chance to meet more cute Pokemon?" She fell into step beside her friend and role model, her thoughts drifting to Dedenne, who was sleeping inside her bag.

"I'm one step closer to achieving my dream!" She tilted her head, smiling, before suddenly being caught off-guard by the flash of a camera.

"Smile! You're going to be featured in a Spotlight Piece in the next issue of our magazine!" The photographer didn't appear to be much older than Serena herself, though it was hard to tell since he was still holding his camera over his face.

There had been a time when Serena had been afraid of photographers and reporters. They had a habit of invading personal space, asking none-of-their-business questions, and showing up whenever they weren't wanted. Ever since she had more regularly performed in showcases, though, they had become part of her daily routine. Sometimes, she even found that she enjoyed speaking with them. Flattered by the attention, she tossed her hair back and smiled in his direction. "The light isn't great here. Would you rather take my picture outside?"

The photographer slowly lowered his camera, revealing a mop of wavy reddish-brown hair and dark brown eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss," he said, blinking in confusion. "I was actually talking to Braixen. She put on a great performance!"

"Braix," the Fox Pokemon said, looking pleased at the compliment. She took the stick from her tail and whirled it around once, bowing. The photographer had his camera up again from the moment Braixen had acknowledged him, rapidly snapping pictures in succession.

"I've never met a photographer who was more interested in Pokemon than their trainers," Serena commented, staring at him in surprise before nodding her head in approval. "It's nice. Pokemon help us with so much; it's great to see them be recognized for something."

"More people need an attitude like yours!" the photographer told her, grinning. "The name's Todd, by the way - Todd Snap. I'm a master of Pokemon photography!" He waved his camera around excitedly. "Right now I'm working as a reporter for Pokemon Time Magazine, covering various showcases and the Pokemon performing in them." He looked very proud of himself.

"I'm Serena, and this is my friend Bonnie." Serena reached down to hold Bonnie's hand, noting that Dedenne had woken up from his nap and was now peeking out of the flap of Bonnie's bag. "And that's Dedenne," she gestured to the Antenna 's camera was up again at the mention of Dedenne's name, snapping photos of him from several different angles. "But I'm afraid I haven't heard of you or that magazine."

At her words, Todd stared at her and Bonnie with obvious distress. "You...you haven't heard of me?" He had run into many people since arriving in Kalos that hadn't heard of him, but it still came as a blow to his ego every time it happened. "Or of Pokemon Time?"

"That's right," Serena said. "Bonnie, what about you?" Bonnie read more types of magazines than Serena did, and might have at least recognized the name.

"Nuh-uh," she replied, looking anxiously at Todd. She wanted to ask him questions about the Pokemon he took photos of, and if she could see any of them, but she doubted Serena would be thrilled with an outburst like that. Now that she was 11 years old, she had to start acting more grown up.

"You and everyone else here, I guess," he mumbled unhappily. "Pokemon Time is primarily distributed in the Kanto Region, but we're trying to expand into Kalos. It doesn't look like we've been too successful."

"I know someone from Kanto," Serena said, blushing as she thought of Ash. "I'm sure he's heard of you. I can even ask him about you tonight, if you want!" Todd perked up at her words, and she smiled. It made her feel good when she made others feel better. "Besides, with you on their team, I'm sure Pokemon Time will pick up around here in no time!"

"Thanks," he told her, looking genuinely pleased at the compliment. "I know!" he said suddenly, snapping his fingers as he thought of an idea. "How about I interview you? You seemed really popular with that crowd. If we can put out a magazine featuring an exclusive with Serena, the Pokemon Performer, I bet we'll be able to sell a lot of copies!"

"That sounds great, Todd!" Serena said excitedly, pleased with the invitation. "But I don't think I can today. I have to get home." She glanced down at Bonnie, who looked like she would burst if she had to remain quiet for even another minute.

"I understand," he said, looking a little dejected. "Hey, wait! That guy said you were from Vaniville Town! Isn't that a long way from here?"

It was true that Vaniville Town wasn't particularly close to their current location in Camphrier Town, but thankfully for Serena, she wasn't going there. "I live in Lumiose City now," she told him. "It's easier for me to travel to and from showcases all over Kalos from there."

"I'm staying in Lumiose City right now, too!" Todd said, beaming at her. "I was set up with an office at the Lumiose Press once I arrived, so I've been living there. Would you mind if I walked with you?"

Serena looked around before answering to make sure there were no objections from Braixen, Bonnie, or Dedenne, but before she could respond, Bonnie decided she couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Please do!" Bonnie said, stars in her eyes. "Can we see your office? Do you keep pictures of Pokemon there? What's the cutest Pokemon you've ever taken a picture of?"

"Oh, Bonnie," Serena sighed, smiling at her friend. She was always so exuberant. "One at a time, okay?"

Bonnie could never say no to Serena's smiles. There was something about the thought of disappointing her role model that dissolved even her most highly anticipated plans. "Okay," she said, sounding a little dejected.

"Where's the fun in that?" Todd said cheerfully, laughing at the exchange between the two girls. "Yes, yes, and your Dedenne of course!" Dedenne poked his head out of Bonnie's bag again, surprised at the compliment.

"Wow, really?!" Bonnie asked, jumping back quickly from her earlier disappointment. "Dedenne's really the cutest Pokemon you've ever taken a picture of?"

"One of them," Todd said, smiling at her. "But I can show you pictures of other cute Pokemon, once we're back in Lumiose."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Bonnie asked, running ahead of them. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!"

It was nearing the end of a battle between Ash and Clemont, and this time it looked like Clemont had the upper hand. After a series of hits and misses from both their Pokemon, Bunnelby still looked as battle-ready as ever, where Pikachu looked like he was on the verge of collapse.

"Bunnelby, block it! Use Mud Shot!"

Pikachu had dodged the same attack many times before, and had even done so earlier in battle, but this time there was no direction from Ash on what to do. He stopped, confused, as he looked from Ash to the ball of mud headed his way, only deciding at the last second to just dodge it and counterattack as Ash surely would have directed. But it was too late.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as his Pokemon partner fell to the ground, splattered with the mud that had just hit him. "Are you okay?" But the electric mouse's lack of a response told both Ash and Clemont the battle was over, and Clemont recalled Bunnelby as Ash headed towards the center of the arena.

"That was a great battle, Clemont." Ash said, walking forward to pick up his fallen friend. At his touch, Pikachu picked up his head briefly and gave a soft 'chuu'.

"It was," Clemont smiled, before his expression turned more serious. "You seemed distracted, though. Is everything okay?" He never could have brought himself to admit that Ash hadn't given their battle his all, but he had made more mistakes than normal, leaving Clemont with openings he didn't usually get.

"I'm fine," he said, walking over to the stands and sitting down, putting Pikachu on his lap. "I've just had a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Tell me about it," Clemont offered, sitting down next to him. "Talking can be therapeutic, you know."

Ash paused, unsure of what to say. It wasn't just one thing that was troubling him, but rather a combination of things. He supposed the main thing that was bothering him was the phone call he had with his mother several days ago. She didn't _seem_ upset that he hadn't come home to visit her when he originally said he would, and she didn't _look_ like she missed him too much, but the worried expression Professor Oak had given her when Ash admitted he was too busy to leave right now spoke volumes.

Then, there was the matter of why he had skipped his flight home to visit her in the first place. He had booked it as planned, and had every intention of getting on it, but when the day arrived he just didn't make it to the airport. He loved his mother, and he did get homesick for Kanto every now and again - but somehow, the pull he felt from Kalos was stronger. He already accepted that he wanted to settle down there, but not wanting to leave at all was something different entirely. Maybe there was something important he had to do here, something he couldn't leave without having done.

But Clemont didn't need to hear about any of that.

"I'm having an issue with a client," Ash said by way of explanation, the thoughts in his head jumbling together as he tried to think of what to say next. It wasn't really untrue; he was having an issue with a client and it was bothering him. Just not as much as everything else.

"Is it the girl you told me about? Sable?"

"Yeah," Ash said, stretching his legs out as he leaned back slightly. "That's her, all right." His voice sounded more bitter than Clemont had remembered hearing it in the past, and he turned towards his friend, concerned.

"She certainly sounds like a difficult client," Clemont said comfortingly. "But I know if anyone can get through to her, it's you."

"I guess," Ash said, sounding doubtful. "Hey, could you -"

"Yes," Clemont responded, setting his hand down on top of Ash's. "Of course I will."

"You didn't even hear what I was going to ask!" Ash pointed out, laughing.

"I didn't have to," Clemont said, gazing at Ash. "I would do anything for you." He blushed, and before Ash could say anything he looked down, not brave enough to maintain eye contact for too long. "So what were you going to ask me?"

"If you could make something to help me," Ash clarified, either not realizing or not caring that Clemont's hand was still resting on top of his own.

"Then my answer hasn't changed," Clemont said, confidence returning to his voice. "Science has a solution to every problem. You'll see."

* * *

"When you said you were living here, I thought you meant somewhere in the city, not actually in your office." Serena eyed Todd's rolled out sleeping bag in the corner of his office critically, wondering why he wasn't staying in one of the city's many hotels or Pokemon Centers.

"I wasn't sure how long I would be here." Todd shrugged, unconcerned. "At least I'm never late for work!" He chuckled at his own joke, feeling a little embarrassed that he had forgotten to put his sleeping bag away. He was typically what one might call a neat freak, always obsessively tidying up the entire space. But he had been in a hurry that morning, and hadn't been expecting company.

"Where are your pictures?" Bonnie asked, staring around the room. "I want to see the Pokemon!" The younger girl had repeatedly expressed her interest in seeing Todd's photographs on the way home, and so Todd had invited her and Serena over to his office to take a look at some of his work.

"I have a couple up there, from projects I've recently worked on." He pointed to a few photographs printed and framed on the wall behind his desk, hidden behind spare camera equipment and stacks of papers. "But I have a bunch more in boxes, and most of my pictures are digitalized."

"Digitalized?" Bonnie asked, trying to remember the big word. She knew she had heard it before, probably from Clemont, but she wasn't completely sure what it meant.

"Most of my pictures have been scanned in and stored on a computer," Todd explained, gesturing to his laptop. "That way I can carry them with me wherever I go! I've taken a lot of pictures, so I can't carry prints of them all."

"But what if you need to show them to someone, and you don't want to bring your whole computer with you?" Bonnie asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"That's what this is for!" Todd tapped another piece of machinery sitting on his desk. "This is a top of the line photograph printer. I can make as many copies of my pictures as I want, with this."

"Wow, that's really impressive!" Serena walked over towards the desk, but not to admire the printer. Her eyes were focused instead on a picture of several Oddish, happily playing out in the open. "They're normally so shy! How did you get them to pose like that?"

"Those Pokemon weren't posed!" Todd sounded downright offended at her words. "Pokemon should be photographed naturally, not posing. See how relaxed they are? How happy? That's the way they're supposed to be. Not arranged in a photo frame the way that we want to see them."

"But what if the Pokemon want to pose for a picture?" Bonnie asked eagerly, moving Dedenne a little bit forward as if to hint that he would be happy to pose for Todd and his camera.

"Most Pokemon don't even know I'm taking a photo," Todd explained. "Would you be able to act naturally if you knew there was a camera pointed at you?"

"Well...I guess not," Bonnie admitted.

"Exactly. I travel alone, just me and my camera, and I do my best not to disturb nature. When I come across a scene that speaks to me, I stop and take a picture, capturing everything and everyone just the way they should be portrayed."

"Aren't some Pokemon upset to have their photos taken?" Bonnie was just as curious as ever, even with Todd's explanation.

"Bonnie, I think that's enough questions for now." Serena looked apologetically at Todd, hoping Bonnie hadn't irritated him. She could tell that taking natural pictures of Pokemon was something he felt strongly about, and might not want questioned. Thankfully, he actually seemed pleased that he had a chance to explain.

"It's fine," he told her, waving aside her apology. "That's right, Bonnie, some Pokemon don't like having their picture taken. Each Pokemon has a different personality, just like we do!" He bent down until they were at eye level, smiling at her. "But I always make a point to capture a Pokemon's best side on film. Even if they would normally be shy around a camera, I show them as being brave and strong, because that is what they deserve to have people see them as."

"Not all of your pictures show Pokemon in their best light, though." Serena reached towards a photo she had just noticed on the wall, of a Fennekin laying on its side looking depressed. Its fur was matted, like it hadn't been groomed in weeks, and she could swear she saw tears in its eyes. Her fingertips hovered just an inch away from the picture, reminding her so much of her own Fennekin, laying on the stage at the Coumarine City Showcase. "How could you take a picture of this Pokemon lying on the ground in pain?" She whirled around to face Todd accusingly, clutching her hand to her chest.

"What better way is there to show that Pokemon fear loneliness and abandonment just as much as humans? People often need to see things to believe them. This Fennekin was abandoned by its trainer, left lying in the middle of Autumnal Avenue. Everyone just walked by it like it didn't exist, like a Pokemon in trouble meant nothing to them. But I saw it. And with this photograph, I'm going to make sure other people see it too."

Serena's hands trembled, harsh words threatening to spill out. She couldn't imagine seeing a Pokemon so distraught, so unkempt, and just stopping to take a picture instead of trying to help. "What happened to Fennekin?" She had to know, even if the answer wasn't good.

"Fennekin is fine," Todd assured her. "I rushed it to the Pokemon Center, and Nurse Joy advised me to take it back to Professor Sycamore's lab after she healed it. Not only did he manage to rehome Fennekin with a new trainer, he helped me develop the photo I took, and he's going to use it to promote Pokemon rights awareness"

"Wow," Bonnie whispered, awed at Todd's story. "So sometimes, it's okay to take pictures of Pokemon that are unhappy. Do you have any other pictures we can look at, Todd?"

"Right here," he said, sweeping open one of his desk drawers and taking out a stack of photographs. "Fresh off the press, so to speak. These are all photos for articles that are either still being written, or were removed from the last issue of the magazine." He held out the photographs to Bonnie, and she grabbed them eagerly, looking through them with interest.

"Ooh," she said, pointing to one of a Glaceon. The Fresh Snow Pokemon was just peeking out from behind a white wall of snow, looking shy and delicate. "She's so pretty!"

"She really is," Serena agreed, admiring the picture. "What got you into taking pictures, Todd?" She had taken so long to realize her own dream that she was fascinated by stories of how other people had discovered theirs.

"Well," Todd said, laughing. "Taking pictures has always been a huge part of my life. My parents told me it was like I was born with a camera in my hand. I found one of theirs laying around the house when I was younger, and I've never been separated from a camera since!"

"What about being a reporter?" Serena asked, still curious to hear more. Though Bonnie was still flipping through the photographs, she paused whenever Todd spoke, revealing that she too was curious to hear how he had become so successful.

"That part came a little later," Todd admitted, opening up another desk drawer and rummaging through it for something. "And I'm still not quite where I want to be. I just want to take pictures, not write articles about them. My images should be able to speak for themselves. And I only want to take pictures of Pokemon, not people and places, like I have to sometimes now. But I don't mind it, because I know it's just a stepping stone to my real dream - owning and publishing my own exclusive Pokemon magazine!"

He and Ash are kind of alike, Serena thought, watching him take out stacks of papers, rifle through them, and then neatly set them down in a stack on his desk. They both have dreams that are going to take them a while to fulfill - but they keep aiming for it, and they don't let anything hold them back. It's such an inspirational way to live. It was certainly what had inspired her to do everything for her dream, and not give up at every little problem that popped up.

"Here!" Todd said, holding up what appeared to be a very old copy of Pokemon Time. There was an outline of a Flying-type Pokemon on the cover, but Serena didn't recognize which one. "I owe everything to this picture of Aerodactyl. I guess a picture like this wouldn't be so rare these days," he reflected, "but it was back then, and I became pretty famous for it." He puffed out his chest, looking proud of himself.

"What's that?" Bonnie said curiously, pointing to a blurry spot underneath the Aerodactyl. "It looks kind of like a person!"

"It is a person," Todd said, and Serena and Bonnie both gasped.

"What happened to them?" Serena asked, fearing for them even though she knew this was taken years ago, and whatever had happened was long in the past. "Do you know?"

"I do," Todd said, grinning. "Or at least, I did. He's actually the one that kept on encouraging me to submit pictures to Pokemon Time - as long as they didn't feature him! But who knows, maybe one day one of his exciting adventures will land him in another magazine, and then I'll be able to find him again and thank him." He rolled his eyes, remembering his friend and the crazy situations they had gotten in, even though they only traveled together for a short time. "That Ash is really something."

"Ash?" Serena and Bonnie both asked in surprise. "You don't mean...Ash Ketchum?" Todd had said that he was from Kanto originally, and Ash always did seem to be getting into adventures, but Serena never once suspected the two might know each other. It would just be too big of a coincidence.

"Don't tell me," Todd said dryly, already knowing the answer to the question he was about to ask. "You know him? Don't answer that," he said, cutting off Bonnie as she opened her mouth to answer the question. "Everyone here at the office seems to know him, too!"

"Everyone in the city knows him - he's the current Kalos Champion," Serena explained, surprised the reporter wasn't more up to date on current events, or that at the very least his coworkers hadn't enlightened him. "He won the League three months ago."

"I only arrived two weeks ago," Todd said miserably, looking disappointed that he had missed hearing such important information. "Wow. Kalos Champion," he mused, clasping his hands behind his back and walking over to look out the window. "So he finally did it. He became a Pokemon Master. Too bad I didn't have the chance to congratulate him."

"Why can't you?" Bonnie asked, confused. "I bet he would love to hear from you!"

"I think he's been homesick," Serena was always so observant of her friends. "Maybe if you came over and talked to him for a while, he would feel better!"

"Is he still in Kalos?" Todd asked interestedly, looking at the two of them in disbelief. "Do you know where I can find him?"

"We live with him!" Bonnie exclaimed, secretly pleased with Todd's slightly bewildered expression. "In Prism Tower. I'm sure you would be welcome over anytime!"

"Isn't that where the Lumiose City Gym is?" Todd asked with interest. "What would Ash be doing there?" The question was asked quietly, meant more rhetorically than anything, but Bonnie heard him and answered.

"My brother is the Gym Leader!" Bonnie said proudly, happy that her brother's identity was no longer the secret it once had been around the city. "He and Ash are best friends. We're all like a family!"

"Imagine that," Todd said, shaking his head. "Here I am, thinking I'll never see him again, and it turns out two weeks ago I practically move into his backyard." He sighed, and then smiled at his new friends. "Any chance he's free sometime this week for a chat?"

"Tell you what," Serena said, happy she was able to help both Todd and Ash. "You wanted an interview with me, right? Why don't you stop by Prism Tower tomorrow? I'll give you your interview, and then you can meet Clemont and catch up with Ash!"

"That sounds great!" Todd couldn't believe his luck. Volunteering to cover that Fiery Charm competition and taking a picture of Braixen had been almost like a twist of fate, destiny pulling him back to a time of great change in his past. And with any luck, it might help him make more great changes. "See you tomorrow!"

* * *

 **SNAPSHOTS  
** _Pokemon the Series: XY  
_ _XY001:_ _Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!_

* * *

Ash hadn't intended to fall from a 80-storey building when he came to the Kalos region. Of course, he hadn't intended to be in an 80-storey building in the first place. It wasn't his fault that was where the Lumiose City Gym was located. But regardless, he had just fallen, and now he was watching his Pikachu be tightly hugged by a little girl, one of the people who had saved them.

"Are you alright?" A boy in a pastel blue jumpsuit held out his hand to help him get up. He looked concerned for Ash, despite having just met him.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks to you!" Ash said a little too joyously, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Take a look at this, Clemont! A Pikachu! And what a cutie!" The girl snuggled Pikachu even closer to her, ignoring his attempts to get away. Scared both by the fall and now by this sudden display of affection, Pikachu let loose a huge electric shock, knocking the girl to the floor.

"Bonnie, no!" the boy shouted, at the same time as Ash asked "Are you okay?" They ran forward to check on her, but before they could reach her, she was already sitting up and laughing.

"Of course!" she told them, bouncing to her feet. She stood politely in front of them, like she was expecting something.

"Pika pika." Pikachu obviously felt bad about shocking someone who had only been trying to help him, and someone so young too.

"I'm really sorry about my sister." The boy, Clemont, hung his head in shame. He was constantly apologizing for his sister's behavior. She always meant well, but never thought before she acted, which had already gotten them into more than one awkward situation.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Ash held up his hands to show that everything was okay between them. It wasn't his new friend's fault, after all, if anything it was his own for needing rescuing in the first place.

"Bonnie, you apologize too." Clemont turned to look at his sister in anger.

"I just wanted to give Pikachu a hug 'cause it's so cute!" Her brother clearly did not understood the importance of giving adorable Pokemon hugs.

"Hm," Clemont backed away with a thoughtful look on his face. "But did Pikachu like it?"

Bonnie looked at Pikachu, for the first time seeing how her actions might have unintentionally scared the little Pokemon. That hadn't been what she meant to do at all. "All right, I'm really sorry Pikachu."

"Everything's okay now," Ash said, leaning down to speak to the little girl. She looked really upset over what had happened, and he couldn't just leave her feeling like that. "Pikachu was just a little surprised."

"Pika pika," the electric mouse said, apologizing in his own way for what had happened.

"But I still haven't thanked you yet. I really appreciate that you saved Pikachu."

"Pika pika!" Both Ash and his Pokemon partner were genuinely grateful for the assistance they had been given by the pair, and their thanks were rewarded with a huge grin from Bonnie.

"You're very welcome!" She privately admitted to herself that Clemont was more responsible for saving them than she was. After all, he was the one that saw them fall, and the one that had used his invention to break their fall. But she didn't mind taking the credit for it.

"What a weird gym. What's up with that?" Now that he had recovered from his fall and given appropriate thanks for his rescue, he could finally ask someone about why it had happened in the first place.

"You got kicked out, right?" Clemont stared up at the gym; specifically at the opening from which Ash had fallen. He knew there were a lot of security measures taken in Prism Tower, but he hadn't known of any that deposited people that far above the ground.

"Right! And after coming all this way. Some gym leader." Of course, at this time, Ash had no way of knowing that he was speaking to none other than the Lumiose City Gym Leader himself.

"Yeah, he's something alright..." Clemont was ashamed of himself. He knew it was a mistake to leave an out of control robot in charge of his gym. But in all fairness, he hadn't realized the robot was out of control until it was too late. And there was nothing he could do about it now.

"The gym leader of the Lumiose Gym is this really super duper strong person!" Clemont smiled at his sister. She was always defending him, even when he didn't deserve it. "So they asked you how many badges you have, right?"

"That's right!" But when I told them I didn't have any, I got zapped, bad."

"Huh?" Clemont and Bonnie both said. "You don't have any badges?"

"You see, I just arrived in the Kalos region," Ash explained to his new acquaintances. "This is the first gym I've been to."

"Pardon me, but...where are you from?" Clemont pushed his glasses closer to his face, as if it would somehow help him see the boy clearer. His dark skin and black hair were an uncommon combination in the Kalos region, but they didn't give him any clues as to where else the boy could be from, either.

"I'm from Pallet Town in Kanto, and my name is Ash!" He adjusted his baseball cap, hiding how awkward he felt about being asked. "This is Pikachu, and my buddy and I are on a journey together, so I can become a Pokemon Master!"

"Pika pika-chu!" Neither one of them were sure exactly where this journey would lead them, but they did know that Clemont and Bonnie would become their first friends in this strange land, and that as long as people like that were by their side, everything would be okay.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Some of you might be a little surprised by this chapter, but I do want to make two things clear. First of all, I have nothing against Serena. She's an awesome character, and she will have her own storyline here (as will Bonnie). Also, I am highly addicted to Pokemon Snap, and adding Todd just made everything fall into place. He will be appearing in other chapters, so while I don't necessarily consider him a main character in this story, he does have an important role to play.

The Snapshot is in honor of the Diodeshipping Week - Day 1 theme, _Beginnings_. Speaking of which, you should all hop on down to Tumblr this week to see some great dedications to Diodeshipping. Today is only the beginning!

Stay tuned for Chapter 3, and thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!


	3. Blast From The Past!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Dear readers, I apologize for being away so long. Life has been very busy, and between moving into a new house, getting engaged, and taking over extra responsibilities at work as well as freelancing, I simple haven't had time to write for...well, years.

That being said, this story has NOT been abandoned. I've been writing for it off and on, though it's been all random out of order scenes. Finally, I've managed to create a couple chapters out of that mess, so without further ado, here is the long overdue third chapter!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3  
** _Blast From The Past!_

* * *

"He looks so young," Clemont commented, holding a picture of Ash up to his face. _Young, and still somehow just as adorable as he is today._ His hand started to shake, and he put down the photograph before the nervous action was noticed by the others in the room.

"We all were! This was...let me think…" Todd tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the table as he tried to remember how many years ago he had taken the photograph. It had to have been at least five years. Could it have been as many as ten? No, probably not. Somewhere in between those two was more likely. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. Anyway, we were just kids then."

"Do you think Ash would really appreciate you showing us pictures of him at that age?" Serena asked, holding onto a couple photos herself. She couldn't stop evaluating his expressions in every photo she saw, especially in ones where he was interacting with a girl with orange hair and blueish-green eyes.

"Probably not," Todd grinned, looking rather proud of himself. "But we all need a trip down memory lane sometimes - even if it _is_ someone else's memory." He chuckled, adjusting the camera strap that rested on his neck. "Where is he, anyway?" he asked curiously, looking towards the door.

"Running late," Clemont murmured, staring longingly at some of the newer photos that were spread out on the tables, ones where Ash appeared to be at least a teenager, rather than a child. At least it didn't feel quite so wrong to admire those - though he still felt guilty about doing so in the first place.

"Some things never change." Todd shook his head, finally taking a seat at the table with the others. He twisted his chair around to face the door, taking hold of his camera with both hands once his chair was positioned properly. His fingers ran over the side of the device, fiddling with the settings so he could take the perfect photograph with the way the light was in the room.

"What are you looking at, Todd?" Bonnie asked, tearing her gaze away from a stack of photographs he had brought just for her. She was much more interested in the adorable Pokemon he had snapped pictures of over the years than old pictures of Ash, and had been thrilled when he told her the photos were hers to keep.

"The door," he said deviously. "You see, I'm waiting for Pikachu. Did you see any of those pictures of Ash yet?" He pointed to a mostly untouched stack of pictures that was sitting on the side of the table.

Bonnie picked them up and started flipping through them, holding them up in the air so that Serena and Clemont could also look at them. "I don't get it," she said, perplexed. "They're all just images of him making funny faces, or they're just of his hands or shoes. And some of them are really blurry."

"Exactly," Todd said grimly. "Would you believe me if I told you all of those pictures were failed attempts to get the perfect photo of Pikachu?" His hands shook ever so slightly as he remembered his frustration when trying to capture the image. "See, Pikachu is really camera-shy. If I want a picture of him, I'll have to take it before either he or Ash realize I'm around."

Almost as soon as he finished his explanation, they all heard to unmistakable _ding_ of the elevator. "Showtime," Todd whispered. He held his camera up, poised and ready, door fully visible through the view screen. If he took the picture a second too early, Pikachu might be alerted to his camera and hide before he had fully come into view. If he took the picture a second too late, Pikachu would most likely bound out of sight before he could snap more than a blurry photo. Timing was everything when it came to this electric mouse.

The whole room was quiet with anticipation of his brand new photograph. Serena looked shyly at the floor, hoping Ash and Pikachu wouldn't be upset with her for inviting Todd over. Clemont sat down on the couch, his head in his hands as he tried to stop his mind from running through the various ways this photographic attempt could turn out a disaster. Todd was holding his camera, focusing on nothing but the door. Only Bonnie remained unburdened by his decision, looking around the room with a mischievous grin.

"Is anyone home?" Ash asked, stepping off the elevator and into the hallway. He wasn't used to it being so quiet in Prism Tower. Even if there weren't challengers calling out moves for their Pokemon or filling the air around them with the sound of electricity, it was very difficult for 3 people and 7 Pokemon to restrict the volume of their playing, fighting, eating, and even sleeping. Silence was rare, and had him feeling a bit uneasy.

"We're in here!" Bonnie called out, giggling gleefully. She clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle the sound. It wouldn't be any good to have Ash hear her laughter and grow suspicious. Not that Ash was the kind of person that gave into suspicion, anyway. Even when people had failed him in the past, he still always insisted on seeing their best side and giving them another chance.

The door creaked open, and Todd's finger itched to press the button on his camera. _Not yet,_ he told himself, his muscles tensing as he saw Ash's sneaker enter the room, and then the brim of his hat. _A little more...a little more…_

 _Click._

Ash was standing fully inside the room, just beyond the door, when he heard the sound of the camera. He didn't quite recognize the noise, but he threw himself on the floor, hands over his head, in an attempt to avoid the thundershock that was certain to be Pikachu's reaction. Unfortunately, he hadn't quite thrown himself out of the Pokemon's reach. "Chuu!" Pikachu yelled in fright, shocking Ash and the area around him. If Ash hadn't already been on the floor, he almost certainly would have fallen, his muscles twitching just enough to make him unstable after the large jolt of electricity.

"Oops," Todd said quietly, peering at Ash through the view screen of his camera. "I forgot about that." It wasn't the first time he had seen Pikachu let out a surprisingly powerful attack in response to his camera, but in all the excitement about seeing Ash after so many years apart, he had forgotten about it.

"Ash!" Clemont was already halfway across the room by the time anyone else had realized what had happened, falling to his knees next to the injured boy. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ash said, smiling weakly. "Thanks, Clemont." Clemont got to his feet, offering his hand to Ash to help him get up.

 _Click_.

Todd had taken a picture of Ash's hand making contact with Clemont's, their grip on each other so tight that the skin appeared completely taut where they touched.

 _Click._

Ash was on his feet again, smiling at Clemont. There was an evident sparkle in his eye as he looked at the older boy, the expression on his face so sweet and genuine that one couldn't help but be moved by the amount of respect he clearly had for his friend.

 _Click._

Clemont blushed a bright, vibrant red, his eyes staring at Ash's lips rather than at his eyes. His shyness at the thought of eye contact was how he kept missing the emotion so obvious on Ash's face, the admiration and the respect. Even the love he had for him. But the exchange didn't go unnoticed by Todd, who was determined to capture every moment of it.

 _Click._

"Where does that noise keep coming from?" Ash asked, grateful that Pikachu hadn't shocked him for any except the first one. Oblivious as always, he had somehow missed seeing Todd when he walked into the room. A guilty-sounding cough finally made Ash look up and take notice of the photographer.

"Todd?" He stared in confusion at his old friend, taking in the slight changes in his appearance since he had last seen him. He had expected Todd to still be wandering around Johto, in search of legendary Pokemon. What could he possibly be doing in Kalos?

"Hey, Ash." Todd waved in greeting, before removing the camera from around his neck and setting it down in the center of the table. He was done taking pictures - for now. "I see Pikachu still doesn't like cameras."

"Just yours," Ash replied with a grin. "I can't believe it's really you!" The ache he felt from being thundershocked was forgotten as he ran across the room, catching a surprised Todd in an embrace. "Hey, you brought pictures!" He let go of Todd, pushing him slightly to the side as he grabbed a stack of photos. "Augh!" he exclaimed as he flipped through the pile. "Why'd you have to bring that one?" He hung his head in shame, letting Todd gently take back the photo he was holding up.

"Oh, yeah!" Todd said, laughing at the memory that Ash wished wasn't immortalized in film. "Come on, Ash. You have to admit, it's pretty funny, what with you being the Kalos League Champion now."

"I guess it is kind of funny, come to think of it." Ash picked up his head, replacing his distressed expression with a smile. "And those questions were pretty hard." The picture he had been so distraught about was one of his failing score on the Kanto League Entrance Exams, being in the bottom three along with Jessie and James.

"Let me see!" said Bonnie, jumping up and down with excitement as she stretched her hands forward for the photograph. Ash nodded, and Todd passed over the photograph wordlessly. "Wait a second…" she said, examining the picture. "Isn't that Team Rocket?"

"Where?" Serena asked, suddenly looking frightened. She clutched at the blue ribbon on her outfit; a gift Ash had given her nearly two years ago. She had faced off against Team Rocket many times in the past, and they always seemed like more of an annoyance than a real threat, but they still gave her chills.

"Serena! In the photo." Bonnie tugged at her friend's wrist, drawing her in closer to see the photograph.

"Oh, right," Serena said sheepishly, hanging her head in embarrassment. "Silly me. Of course they wouldn't be here for real!"

* * *

Little did Serena know, Team Rocket was only a few short blocks away, tucked into a small, run-down warehouse they had adopted as their hideout shortly after the League.

"So you are finally in a position to acquire something of value," Giovanni mused to himself audibly. "Perhaps it would be worth leaving you stationed in Kalos for just a while longer." He had watched Jessie, James, and Meowth rise and fall over the years, never presenting him with anything more than an example of how not to succeed. Still, if they could take over Prism Tower as a base for the expansion of Team Rocket to Kalos as they were promising now, well, that would make all their antics worth the trouble they had caused.

"But of course!" Jessie exclaimed, twirling around. "How could you think we would present you with anything less? You underestimate our great skills." She flipped her hair back over her shoulder, looking proud of herself.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Giovanni growled, his tone of voice making all three of them quake in their boots. "You three have been nothing more than a pain in my side since the day you signed up for Team Rocket. Don't make me regret this decision."

"Y-yes sir," all three of the team members stammered, dropping to their knees and lowering their heads as a sign of respect. It was only once the video stream had ended with an audible tone that they dared raise them again.

"We'll show him," James muttered, rocking back onto his heels. "We're better than he thinks!"

"Not really," Meowth said critically. "I mean, we ain't been too successful in capturin' Pikachu, an'…" he continued listing out their failures over the years, oblivious to the scowls appearing on both of his friends' faces, until finally he felt himself being lifted up into the air and tossed across the room almost comically, landing and cartwheeling along the floor.

"How dare you!" cried Jessie, her face twisted into rage. "If you two would just agree to do things my way instead, we wouldn't have gotten into even half those messes!"

"The two of us!?" James looked shocked. "Leave me out of this! I'm just the sidekick! Meowth is the one who comes up with all the plans!" He waved his hands in front of his face, trying to prevent Jessie from unleashing her fury at him.

Unfortunately, once Jessie got mad, she usually stayed that way for a while, and it didn't take long for the bickering to become a full-blown argument between the two teammates. Meowth looked back and forth between them, wondering when and if he should step in. It was a position he found himself in quite often, and while he could and usually did tune them out, it still made him uncomfortable sometimes.

"Enough!" he finally called out, tired of listening to them. "While you two bozos have been arguin', I've come up with a plan!" He buffed his claws against his chest, grinning in a way only he could.

"A plan?" James asked, pausing mid-sentence to make sure he heard Meowth right.

"Well come on, cat, out with it!" Jessie demanded, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him.

"Alright," Meowth said, approaching them and lowering his voice to a whisper, even though no one else was around to hear them. "This is what we're goin' to do…"

* * *

"Wow, I never realized Pokemon Performances required so much effort." Todd was getting near the end of Serena's interview, and had been surprised to learn that some of her best moves had been created only a day before the performance, resulting in hours of repetitive training for her, Braixen, and Pancham.

"It requires a ton of effort!" Ash stepped in. "She works just as hard as I do before a match!"

"And just as hard as I do on new inventions," Clemont added.

"Yeah! Serena is the best!" Bonnie chimed in.

Todd shook his head slightly, ignoring the extra comments from his friends. It had been a mistake to let them all watch the interview, he realized, as he received three of four answers to every question he asked. It was Ash's fault, really. He liked to talk, and he just couldn't help himself from trying to answer questions for Serena when she faltered in her own response. But once he had said something, Clemont or Bonnie usually felt the need to respond as well, and so the interview had taken much longer than he had originally anticipated.

Serena, whose blushes had gone from a light pink to a rosy red over the course of the interview as she kept receiving compliments, also had decided ignoring them was the best course of action.

"Sometimes I think I make it more difficult than it should be," she admitted. "Aria...the Kalos Queen...she makes it all look so easy. But a girl's work is never done," she said with a determined smile. "No matter what it takes, I have to do my very best. For myself, to prove that I can, and for Braixen and Pancham, because their talents deserve to be seen. But mostly, I do it for my fans. They don't have to support me, but they do, and I couldn't be more grateful. Putting on the best performance I can is the only way I know of to thank them."

"And I think that's a wrap," Todd nodded in approval, putting down his pen and closing his notebook. "That was some interview, Serena. I'm sure my editor will love it!"

For most of the interview, Serena had sat perched on the edge of her seat, her back straight and her hands placed gently on her lap. Now, though, she finally allowed herself to breathe a huge sigh of relief, and leaned back against her chair. "I'm so glad to hear that," she told him. "When will it be published, do you know?"

"These things take a while," Todd mused, packing away his notebook and the photos he had brought with him, most of which were still scattered on the table in the living room. "Depends on a lot of different factors, like if they'll be putting out an issue specifically on Pokemon Performances, and if anyone has submitted an interview before me - they only like putting in one interview per issue, you see. So, it could be in a couple weeks, or it could be in a couple months."

"Months?" Serena asked, surprised. "But that's…"

"Months away, I know," Todd told her, chuckling. "Everyone says that. But my job is just to write things. Whether they use them right away, or even at all, isn't my call. But don't worry - you seem very popular, judging by the crowd's reaction yesterday! I'm sure my editor is going to want this out right away."

Serena nodded, understanding. She hoped that the article would be out soon - she couldn't wait to show it to her mom! - but she wasn't going to try and rush the process. "Can you let me know when it's out?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Todd laughed. "You'll be the first to have a copy, actually, free of charge. It's just a service Pokemon Time provides, to thank people for making their magazine so great."

"A free magazine?" Clemont asked, sounding interested. His mind went to the process of printing and production, and how information was stored on their database. Why, in order to get everyone a magazine, they must have a separate data table containing the names of those who contributed to each issue, and send those out first. Then, they would have to run that table against their main database, and...he stopped himself before he could get too lost in thought. "Does everyone who helps with the magazine get one, or just people who interview?"

"Why so curious, Clemont?" Todd asked, figuring out quickly after meeting Clemont that he wouldn't have any interest in reading magazines, except for perhaps Science Weekly. "Were you interested in being interviewed, too?"

"N-no," Clemont stammered, taking a step backwards. "I was just wondering how their database works, that's all, you don't want an interview from me anyway…"

"Why not?" Ash swung his arm around Clemont's shoulders, leaning in close and grinning at the blush spreading across his friend's face. "I think that sounds like a great idea!"

"Yeah!" Bonnie exclaimed. "You should do it, big brother!"

"It's not a bad idea at all." Todd looked thoughtful, eyeing Clemont. "Prism Tower is an iconic building throughout Kalos, and the Lumiose Gym is well-known. I bet if you did an interview, you would get even more challengers!"

Clemont looked at him, eyes wide. He didn't really need to advertise - people came to see him and his gym all on their own. Right now, he had a very nice balance between his Gym Leader duties and his inventions, something that he didn't really want to change right now.

"Lumiose Gym is already really busy," Serena told Todd, catching the look on Clemont's face. "I don't think it really needs any more challengers right now."

"Oh." Todd's face fell, and Clemont felt a bit relieved. "The interview wouldn't need to focus on the gym, though. What about your inventions? I bet people would love to hear more about them."

At the word inventions, Clemont picked his head up, wondering if maybe this was a good idea after all. He could talk about those all day - and he had always wanted the chance to inspire a young inventor like himself.

"They have to relate to Pokemon," Todd warned him, seeing the gears turning in his head. "This is for Pokemon Time, after all."

"Oh, don't worry," Clemont told him, grinning. "I have plenty of inventions about Pokemon. Just you wait!"

* * *

 **SNAPSHOTS**  
 _Pokemon the Series: XY_  
 _XY015: An Appetite For Battle!_

* * *

"If we don't hurry, we won't get to the Pokemon Center before the sun sets." Serena looked up at the sky worriedly, taking note of the fading daylight. Her words stopped her friends in their tracks, and they slowly turned around to face her.

"Then we can just camp out, no big deal." Ash always sounded so relaxed, no matter the situation. But while Serena would normally find his attitude comforting, in this case it didn't ease her worry.

"We'll camp out?" She repeated fearfully, taking a small step backwards.

"What's wrong?" Ash inquired, sounding confused.

"Don't you have your gear?" Clemont chimed in.

"Well, actually..." This was a little embarrassing for Serena to admit. But these were her friends. They would understand, right? "My mom told me this might happen, but...I never really considered that I'd end up having to sleep outside for real."

"I brought an extra sleeping bag with me, so you're welcome to use it if you'd like!" Clemont was always prepared for anything.

"And you can sleep with me in my tent!" Bonnie's face shone with happiness and excitement at the prospect of having a real sleepover.

"Pikachu!" Ash's Pokemon partner affirmed.

"Uh, that's so nice!" Serena blushed as she realized how lucky she was to have friends like Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont. As they begin searching for a campsite, she was so lost in thought about how she would repay them for their kindness that she didn't even hear the conversation between Clemont and Bonnie.

"I think you might have forgotten something, Bonnie," Clemont told her.

"What's that, big brother?" Bonnie was skipping instead of walking, overjoyed still at being able to solve Serena's problem.

"Where am I going to sleep, now?" Rather than looking upset, he was smiling at her. Since they had begun traveling with Ash, Clemont had loaned Ash his tent and had slept in Bonnie's instead, so that she wouldn't be alone in the middle of the night should there be scary noises outside. But sharing a tent with his sister was one thing - sharing one with Serena was another.

"Oh, yeah..." Bonnie's steps only faltered for a moment before she thought of something. "I know! You can just move back into your tent!"

"Hey, Ash," Clemont called out to his friend, who was walking in front of him. "Would you be alright with that?"

"Sure, no prob," Ash said, turning around with a smile. "I don't mind sleeping outside."

"Don't be silly! You can continue to sleep there, too. There's enough room for both of us."

"You really mean it?" Ash said with surprise. They slept in the same room during their Pokemon Center stays, of course, but that was different. Pokemon Center rooms had a lot more space than a tent.

"Absolutely! I'm sure of it." Clemont's voice rang out with optimism in the otherwise silent forest.

"Wow, Clemont. Thanks!" He fell back a couple steps to wrap an arm around his friend, a wide smile appearing on his face. He couldn't ask for a better friend than Clemont.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

I've always wondered why Ash and Clemont are shown to share a tent so early in the series, so there's my take on why. To be honest, I'm still a little curious on why Ash didn't have his own tent to begin with, and what happened to his tent provided he ever had one in the first place.

For more Diodeshipping fun to tide you over until the next chapter, head over to my Youtube channel, Vortexia, for a couple videos. They're fairly old at this point, but if I ever get a new computer with more processing power, I'll try making some new ones.

Stay tuned for Chapter 4, and thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!


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